It is always a good time to remember our servicemen and women with a care package. If you and maybe a neighbor or friend put together a care package for a service member, the VFW could provide you with an address to mail it to. There is a postal package rate that isn't too expensive that takes a couple of weeks. Item ideas are: cookies in a tin, a movie or CD, Letters from kids or yourself , paperback book, a card deck, acrylic photo holder, a picture of yourself and friends who put together the package, a twin sized quilt with a letter. Buy one at a church bazaar fir reasonable money.
Pillow cases would brighten up a soldier's stay. Send several: one to have and some to share with comrades. Maybe a sewing circle can embroider “We Honor You” on the edge. Fabric Paint will work too and takes less skill and time.
They don't have to be huge boxes, just thoughtful and practical. Include a self addressed envelope and ask around from the soldiers about the kinds of things that would be useful and appreciated, maybe hard-to-get things like dried chilies for the New Mexico troops. Maybe sewing kits or small scissors or nail files would be good. Just thoughtful things to go in boxes a couple of feet square.
NOTE: There are church groups, sewing groups, local crafty people who can make decorated boxes and tins in which to send cookies, candies or cashews and nuts that don't cause cavities. A package of dried fruit, good luck tokens such as a prayer cloth *or red, white, and blue flag pins are small enough to be packed in a care package.
Maybe a silk flower bouquet of Red, White and Blue flowers to cheer up the barracks could be carefully packaged and sent, especially to a female soldier.
Altoid tins could be painted likewise and reused when the candy is gone. Just don't send things that go boom, like hair spray cans or liquids in glass, or perishables such as fresh fruits.
Show caring with a prayer cloth
Make a Prayer Cloth by writing your prayer for them in fabric paint or indelible pen on a cloth, attach a ribbon to hang it by like a picture. Include it in your care package to have them hang it where the wind can carry the prayer. Or even make a book marker Prayer Cloth to keep as a constant reminder of our support. Plain or fancy, the message is clear and constant, like our support of those heroic people.
